Third Times the Charm?
by KirikaClyne
Summary: ON HIATUS! Post ME3. What if Shepard and Kaidan were given another chance? Will luck finally be on there side?
1. Prologue

**AN: Okay, this is yet another interpretation of what I would have liked the ending to ME3 to be. I managed to get the `Perfect`ending, but I was still not happy with it so I finally got my lazy ass in gear and decided to do something about it. My female Shepard is a strong paragon character with a little renegade smart ass in her.** **The relays also were NOT destroyed and the Normandy is just fine. OH! And EDI and the Geth are fine too. **

**I also have part of Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson in this.  
><strong>

**Rated M for swearing and eventual Shenko smut.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own any of the characters. All property of BioWare and EA.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Prologue<span>**

_*Leave forever!*_ Her last thoughts as she blew the damn Reapers to hell.

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. Peace...no more pain...She'd done it. The short, intense flicker of pain as the fire engulfed her was almost welcoming. Now there was nothing but a nice long rest. If she could have smiled, she would have.

"Becca," someone called from what sounded like a long distance.

She stirred, feeling something soft beneath her head.

"Rebecca. Come on sweetheart, you need to wake up." The voice...something was stirring in her memories.

"Rebecca Hannah Shepard."

Her eyes snapped open and she almost immediately hissed as bright sunlight blinded her. She covered her eyes with her hand, trying to get them to adjust.

_*Wait...my hands...*_ she opened her eyes again and focused on them. There wasn't a drop of blood on them. She stared in confusion as she looked them both over. In fact, they were perfect.

She blinked as her surroundings came into sharper focus, sitting up slowly. *_Where...what the hell?_* she stared with her mouth slightly agape as she attempted to take it all in.

She was in a forest, the sun beating down on her through the sparse canopy. She looked down at her body. She was in a white dress, her feet bare. She examined herself slowly; not a blemish, burn or scratch tarnished her perfect body. She flexed her toes and felt the soft moss tickle between them.

A soft chuckle reached her ears. Her hand immediately flew to her waist, searching for her trusty sidearm on instinct.

"Heh. You'd think she'd relax a bit now that the universe was saved." Said an amused voice as a shape stepped out from behind a tree.

Shepard's breath caught and her body stiffened. "Ash." she whispered, not knowing whether or not to believe what she was seeing.

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams grinned at her. "Good to see you Commander." Tears stung Shepard's eyes as she took in the sight of her dead friend and comrade.

"You did well Commander." Came a second voice as Thane Krios stepped into view.

"Course she did. There was never doubt she would succeed." David Anderson chuckled as he and her father, Carson Shepard, also joined them in the little clearing.

A strangled sob escaped Becca's lips as tears filled her eyes. Her father smiled as he knelt down beside her and rubbed her back like he used to when she was young.

"It's okay Rebecca. You're okay." He whispered gently.

Ash, Thane, and Anderson sat down around her. She noticed that they too seemed to be perfect.

"Where...?" was all she managed to choke out as she took in four of the people she had been closest to in life.

"Hell if we know Skipper. It's your party." Ash said with a broader grin as she looked around.

Shepard took a few deep breaths to calm herself and looked closer at where they were. It looked like the same forest she'd dreamt about hundreds of times where she'd chased the small boy she'd been unable to save when the Reapers had first attacked Vancouver. But it was always twilight in her dreams, and it had always looked dead. This place was bright and alive.

"Ugh," she moaned as the memories of that first day of the invasion began to creep into her thoughts. She pulled her knees up and grasped her head in her hands as her father continued to whisper soothing words in her ear and rub her back.

"Why am I here?" Shepard asked after taking a few minutes to compose and calm herself.

"Because you have a decision to make." Anderson told her.

Shepard looked up at her mentor with bright green eyes full of yet unshed tears. "What decision? I thought...I thought I was supposed to die to destroy the Reapers? That was my choice."

"And so you did," her father said. "That self sacrifice is why you're here."

Confused, Shepard looked around again.

"The Gods have decided to give you this chance." Thane said with a slight smile.

Shepard let some of her tears fall as she considered his words. "But why me?"

"Well, it's not entirely for you. He stirred their emotions too." Ash said with a crooked smile.

Something clicked in Shepard's mind as she considered Ash's words. "Kaidan..." she whispered.

"Bingo. The LT, or Major I guess it is now, is gonna need someone to keep him from going off the deep end. And you're the only one with a hope in hell of pulling it off."

"He doesn't need me," Shepard whispered as she wiped some of her tears away. "He's a fully capable soldier." She continued as she brushed her chin length red hair behind her ears.

"It's not his abilities as a soldier that we're talking about." Anderson said getting to his feet and starting to pace. "You didn't see him after the SR-1 went down and we believed you were dead."

"I wanted to strangle him frankly," Ash said with a shake of her head. "He tried to take every suicide mission he could find once he was allowed to return from leave. And that bullshit of Horizon,"

"That wasn't his fault," Shepard interrupted testily. "He had every reason to be angry with me."

"Ugh! No he didn't Shepard! I would've punched square in the jaw if I could've."

"In any case," Anderson said before Shepard could retort. He looked at both Becca and Ashley before continuing his pacing. "Kaidan does need you Shepard. I should have seen then that as a man he was all but dead inside. I thought that giving him the Spec Ops squad would help; which it did...to a degree."

Shepard stared down at her hands, attempting to hide the fresh assault of tears threatening to fall.

"Rebecca," her father whispered. "You have to realize what you mean to him."

Kaidan's pleading voice as they had parted for the final assault filled her head. _"I can't lose you again."_

"But why me?" She asked again. "Everyone lost loved ones in this damn war. Whole colonies were obliterated by the Reapers and the Collectors. Why should we get this chance when so many others didn't?"

"Because the universe needs you both Shepard." Thane said gently.

Becca looked up to the sky and then back at her clenched hands, lost in thought. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to lie in Kaidan's protective arms again. But her guilt and feelings of unworthiness stopped her.

"No one else could have done what you did Rebecca. You got the Krogans and the Turians to put aside their anger and hatred. You got the Geth and the Quarians to work together and fight as one. You cured the Genophage, saved the Citadel from falling into the Illusive Man's hands." Her father said with a distinctly proud tone in his voice.

"And let's not forget stopping the universes' destruction by telling the Reapers to fuck off." Ash said with a chuckle.

And still Shepard sat clutching her knees, completely unsure. She wanted to be with Kaidan until the end of time. Hell, hadn't she promised him that she would be waiting for him when it was all over? And that last kiss they'd shared...so full of longing, fear, and desperation.

She looked at them all in turn. "I am so sorry I couldn't save you." She whispered, looking particularly at Ashley and Anderson.

"It wasn't your job to save us Commander." Ashley said with a warm smile. "You did everything you could, and I am more than proud to have served with you."

She looked back up at the sky, a small smile now playing across her face. "I mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race. That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me. I cannot rest from travel; I will drink life to the lees. All times I have enjoy'd greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those that loved me, and alone; on shore, and when thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades vext the dim sea. I am become a name;"

"Much have I seen and known,- cities of men and manners, climates, councils, governments, myself not least, but honor'd of them all,- And drunk delight of battle with my peers, far on the ringing plains of windy Troy." Ashley finished as Shepard looked at her. They shared a sad smile, knowing that Shepard had made her decision.

"Oh sweetheart," her father said as she looked at the rest of them, new tears making her eyes over bright. "We aren't really going anywhere. And we'll be waiting for you both when it really is your time."

Shepard leaned over and grabbed her father in a tight embrace, letting the long forgotten sorrow wash over her as she sobbed on his shoulder. "I've missed you so much Dad."

Carson Shepard returned the embrace strongly. "I know sweetheart, I've missed you too." They held each other for a few more moments before he let her go and leaned back to look into her eyes. "I am so proud of you Rebecca."

"As are we all." said Thane as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled and wiped away her tears as they stood to leave.

"See you 'round Commander," Ash said with a wink. "Don't keep him waiting too long."

As they all walked back into the trees, Rebecca Shepard smiled to herself. Then she looked in the opposite direction from where they'd disappeared and pushed herself to her feet.

"Hold on Kaidan." She whispered as she sprinted off away from the clearing. **  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A sharp gasp racked through her body as she slowly regained consciousness; the smell of burnt skin, hair, blood, and melted armour piercing her nostrils and making her nauseous. And then there was the pain. Oh God, the pain was excruciating.

She tried to move her arms, but she was pinned under some of the rubble from the explosion. A small sob of pain escaped her lips as she pushed harder against the rubble. But she kept pushing, reminding herself that the pain meant that she was alive and able to move.

She managed to shift the rubble off her torso and sat up gingerly, the effort causing more pain to radiate through her chest. She closed her eyes tightly allowing a wave of dizziness to run through her. Once it passed, she opened her eyes to try and get an idea of her bearings. She was in what was left of the Citadel's main control room.

She looked down to take stock of her own condition. Her N7 armour was a write-off. It had melted away in most places and hung in loose strips in others. In the places where it had melted, her skin was charred black and bloody. But at least all her limbs were still attached and in reasonably working order. She winced as she felt the bullet wound in her side, courtesy of the Illusive Man before she had taken her kill shot.

_*Could be worse I guess,*_ she thought as she slowly pushed the last of the rubble off her legs and attempted to get up. But another wave of dizziness hit her and she fell back on her knees, coughing and retching violently. Once it had passed, she opened her streaming eyes and wiped her mouth with the back of her blackened hand. Dark red foamy blood stained the floor around her. _*Shit...it is worse.*_ she pulled herself unsteadily to her feet, trying to focus on finding a way out as the room began to spin. She managed to limp slowly over to what was left of the entrance door.

"Joker," she called into her comm as she lent against the doorway to catch her laboured breath, her voice sounding hoarse and alien to her own ears. "Normandy this is Commander Shepard. Come in Normandy."

Nothing but static crackled in her ear. "Joker? EDI? Can anyone hear me? This is Commander Shepard." More static.

"Fuck!" She groaned as pain wracked through her again, causing her to slide a little down the wall. She tried to push it aside as she pulled herself upright again. "Come on! Kaidan! Garrus! Anyone!" Nothing. She stumbled a bit further down the hallway away from the control room while continuing to try and raise someone on the comm.

"Shepard!" She heard someone shout, but it wasn't through her comm. The voice was faint in the distance, but strong there was strength behind it. "Shepard! Answer me!" There was such agony and desperation in his voice.

_*Kaidan...*_ she almost smiled as she forced herself to limp faster towards the sound of his voice.

"Kaidan!" she shouted back as loud as she could when she had to take a rest again, but it barely seemed above a whisper. She grimaced against the wave of pain that shot through her chest with the effort. "Kaidan! I'm here!" She willed herself to start walking again. She could hear what sounded like several people shifting rubble as she moved further down the halls of the Citadel.

"Shepard!" this time it was Garrus. She leaned against another wall and grimaced as her body protested the continued effort of staying upright.

"Kaidan! Garrus!" She called again, putting all the force she could behind her shout. The sound of shifting rubble suddenly stopped. Had they finally heard her? "Kaidan! Garrus! I'm here!"

The sound of shifting rubble was back with an increased urgency. She forced herself off the wall again and kept moving towards it. She rounded a corner just in time to see a small hole open and hands frantically digging to widen it. She leaned heavily against the corner and watched their frantic progress. She could see the blue glow of biotics working to shift the largest pieces.

"Okay," she heard Liara say. Shepard could hear the exhausted but determined tone in her voice. "I will hold it open as long as I can. Kaidan and Garrus, you know these halls best. See if you can find any sign of her. James, Grunt, Tali and I will keep trying to clear a larger opening here."

Tears of relief stung Shepard's eyes. They were all there...they were all okay. She slumped down to the ground in pain and exhaustion, watching as Garrus pushed himself through the opening in the rubble and then turned to pull Kaidan behind him. They flicked on a pair of flashlights and looked around at the devastation.

"I know I heard something," Kaidan insisted as they started down the hallway towards her. "Sounded like someone calling out."

Garrus swept a wide arc with his flashlight and peered inside some of the collapsed doorways. "Come on Shepard," he growled as they inched closer. "You've got to be here somewhere."

"You move any closer and you'll trip right over me Vakarian." Shepard said with a weak grin as one of their flashlights hit her face. But the grin was quickly replaced by a grimace and she whimpered as more pain shot through her.

They both stopped dead at the sight of her on the ground. A range of emotions ran across their faces. Fear - relief - concern - shock. Kaidan was the first to recover and run to her side, his amber eyes ablaze with the torrid of emotions she could only guess at.

"Oh God, Shepard!" Kaidan exhaled as he knelt down and took in the state of her. She was starting to tremble and couldn't will herself to move anymore. They both knew she was going into shock.

A weak smile played across her lips. "You should see the other guy."

Kaidan almost smiled back before looking up at Garrus. "Give me the medkit and tell Liara to hail the Normandy. We have to get her to Doc Chakwas ASAP."

Garrus nodded and handed Kaidan his medkit before sprinting off back towards the others. "We've got her!" she heard him call to them. "Get the shuttle here ASAP! She's in really bad shape." He pushed his way back through the hole and started coordinating her evac.

Shepard looked back at Kaidan as he started trying to stop her bleeding with the medi-gel and stripping off the broken pieces of armour. He hissed through his teeth as he got a closer look at her gunshot wound. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek and brushed a tender finger along the worry lines around his eyes. He leaned into her touch for a moment before grasping her hand in his own.

"You can't leave me Becca. You have to hold on." His eyes were brimming with tears. She smiled and held his hand as hard as she could before he let it drop and continued trying to help her.

"Are you..." she asked through gritted teeth as the medi-gel seared against her burns. She tried to focus to see if he was badly hurt. She could see fresh cuts and scrapes under the soot and ash that covered parts of his face. His armour had seen better days, but was a hell of a lot better than hers.

"I'm okay. I got patched up on the way here. Doc almost had to tie me down to do it. All I could think of was getting here and finding you."

"The others?" her eyelids were growing heavy as the pain meds started taking effect.

"Relatively minor wounds from what I can tell, but they all refused any treatment until we got here to find you." He let a small smile cross his face as he kept working. "Though I think Garrus is gonna have a few new scars to show off."

She returned the smile. "He'll be thrilled. He seems to think women find scars irresistible."

They could hear the medics arrive at the opening at the end of the hall. Kaidan looked over his shoulder and saw them unloading a stretcher. He looked back down at Shepard and saw her eyes close and her body slump. He caught her before her head hit the ground, and his heart started racing in his chest. "Come on Shepard, the medics are here. They're gonna patch you up." But she didn't respond. He felt for her pulse and found it weakening. He scooped her into his arms gingerly and ran towards the opening.

"Here!" he called as he passed her through to Garrus on the other side. He heard Liara and Tail gasp as Garrus laid her carefully on the stretcher.

One of the medics looked her over sadly. "There is no way we can treat her up here on the station. These injuries are too severe. " he muttered as Kaidan pulled himself back out to stand by Shepard's side.

"Then get her to the Normandy and we'll take her to Earth." Tali said in a shaky voice. "Dr. Chakwas can stabilize her on the way."

"It might be kinder...to just give her enough pain meds to make her comfortable." The second medic said as he took in the severity of her burns. Kaidan's heart sank as he looked down at Shepard's broken, unconscious form. _*No,*_ he thought in horror. _*Not again.*_

"Are you fucking kidding me?" James shouted as he advanced on the medic. "This is Commander fucking Shepard! She is the only reason your ass is still alive to help anyone!" The medic backed quickly away from James and looked at Shepard patient in horror and recognition. "Now you get your ass on that shuttle and take her to the God damned Normandy medbay!"

"Yes sir," the first medic said as he and his partner lifted the stretcher and loaded it onto the shuttle.

Kaidan stood back and watched helplessly as the doctors started to hook tubes and lines into the woman he loved.

"Wait! This man is going with her!" Liara shouted as the shuttle fired up its engines. She turned to Kaidan and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Go with her Kaidan. She needs you by her side now more than ever. We will meet you topside as soon as we can."

He nodded gratefully and jumped onto the shuttle as it started lifting off. He let the doctors finish hooking up all of their equipment to monitor her. By the time they were done, they had reached the Normandy. Dr. Chakwas met them in the hanger and immediately began ordering the medics on what to do. Kaidan followed a short distance behind them.

"Joker!" he shouted as they all entered the elevator. "Get us to the main Alliance hospital in London ASAP!"

"Aye, aye Major!" Joker called back as the engines kicked in and he sped out of the Citadel dock.

Kaidan watched helplessly through the medbay windows as the doctor and the medics worked over Shepard's near lifeless body. Finally, after about 15 minutes, Dr. Chawkwas came out to speak with him.

"We've managed to stabilize her, but her pulse is still quite weak. She's lost a lot of blood, and from what my scans show, she has at least 4 broken rips and a collapsed lung. The bullet appears to have been a through and through however, so at least the wound itself is fairly clean." The exhaustion was clearly evident on her face. "She has burns covering about 20% of her body, but they appear to be no worse than second degree in most cases. With time, I'm hopeful." She smiled kindly, and gave his shoulder comforting squeeze. "Go in and sit with her Kaidan. Make sure she knows you're there."

Kaidan nodded and squared his shoulders as he walked into the medbay, trying to mentally prepare himself for the site he knew awaited him. But the site pf her laying there bruised, burned, and broken nearly knocked the breath out of him. _*God, she looks so pale.*_ He pulled up a chair and sat next to her, staring at her bruised and battered face before firmly grasping her hand and holding it up to his mouth to kiss it. "Don't you leave me Shepard," he whispered. "Don't you dare leave me here all alone."


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Wow! Thank you all so much for the reviews and everything. I haven't actually written anything in over 8 years, and it was humbling to find so many people liked what I did. So yeah, totally going to continue this fic. It makes me smile to write Shenko. Will try to update again soon.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 2<span>**

Time had lost all meaning for Kaidan. He'd been switching between shifts with the others at Shepard's bedside; waiting for her to finally regain consciousness, and going out into the field to help with the cleanup and look for more survivors.

The Alliance had commandeered most of what was left of the Royal London Hospital to deal with all the wounded soldiers, both human and alien. Medics, doctors, and nurses of all species were working together to ensure that the wounded got the best medical help they could. Kaidan swelled with pride to know that Shepard was the primary reason for this; her hard fought wartime alliances seemed to be holding strong even now that the Reapers had been defeated.

Though communications were still a mess, he had managed to get a message to his mother and let her know that he was alive and safe. He had also sent a message out to Shepard's mother to let her know that she was alive.

Two weeks into the cleanup saw him taking his turn at Shepard's bedside and going over field casualty reports. He had taken it upon himself to try and locate all of his old Biotics division students' next of kin and let them know their status. It was a long and arduous process, but he wouldn't let anyone else help him with it. He threw the datapad he had been scanning down onto the small table that was littered with them and rubbed his eyes. He'd been at it for over 4 hours now and he was starting to get a migraine. He sighed and looked over at Shepard's prone figure.

"Come on Shepard - we need you to wake up." he said as he got up and took her bandaged hand in both of his and placed it against his cheek. "I need you Rebecca...please come back to me."

He glanced around as he heard the doors to the room hiss open. He was expecting Garrus or Liara to come and tell him to get some food or rest, but nothing prepared him for this visitor. He dropped Shepard's hand, and snapped to attention.

"Sir!" he said as he gave a crisp salute to Admiral Hackett.

"At ease Major Alenko." Hackett said as he casually returned the salute and walked to stand next to him at Shepard's bedside. Kaidan watched as the Admiral looked Shepard over, a frown creasing the older man's features. "How is she?" he asked without looking at Kaidan.

Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "She needed surgery to re-inflate her lung. They patched up the bullet wound and taped her ribs, though those are already healed thanks to those Cerberus implants she has." He looked back down at her. "She needed a couple transfusions to replace all of the blood she lost, the burns are better, but they doubt the scars will ever fully heal. There was some swelling in her brain, but they managed to relieve it and scans aren't showing anymore, and her vitals are pretty strong but..." he heaved a sigh and looked straight at the Admiral. "They aren't really sure why she hasn't woken up yet."

Hackett breathed deeply and looked over at Kaidan. "And you Major? How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine Sir." Kaidan replied automatically.

"I don't mean physically son." Hackett said as he turned to face him.

Kaidan frowned in confusion. "I'm not really sure what you mean Sir."

"I know that you and Shepard are close son, and it can't be easy for you to be sitting here waiting for something to happen."

Kaidan felt himself go pale, but Hackett merely smiled at him. "Don't worry Major. As Spectre's you don't adhere to the same regs we do. Besides," he looked back over at Shepard. "I think you've all earned a little bit of happiness after all the suffering you've endured since this whole mess started 3 years ago."

Kaidan had to remind himself to breath as he looked dazedly at Hackett. He didn't know what to say.

Hackett turned back to him, and saluted. "Take care of her Major." And with that he spun on his heels and walked back out of the room.

Kaidan just stood and stared at the door with his mouth slightly open.

"Well, that was unexpected," a hoarse voice said from beside him.

Kaidan jumped and tripped back into his chair in surprise. A soft giggle rang out as he scrambled back to his feet.

"Shepard!" he breathed with relief as he looked down at her. Her emerald eyes caught his caramel ones and she smiled.

"Hi," she said simply as she took his callused hand in her bandaged one and intertwined their fingers. He smiled back and placed a kiss on her hand, drinking in the sight of her.

"Rebecca," he whispered as he touched her face with his free hand. "I thought...I was so scared I'd lost you again."

She smiled and touched the hand cupping her cheek. "I told you I'd be waiting for you when it was all over." She whispered.

He chuckled and smiled that crooked smile she loved so much. Her own smile broadened as she pulled their interlaced hands closer to her. He obliged and caught her lips with his own. She inhaled deeply, revelling in his musky scent. His tongue traced the outside of her lips lightly and she moaned, allowing him the entrance they both craved. She dropped his hand and wound her fingers in his hair, allowing the bliss of the moment to consume her.

The door behind them hissed open again. "Oh!"came a startled voice. Kaidan broke off the kiss and looked over his shoulder to see a blushing nurse. "I...uh...sorry." she said, the blush intensifying. "I'll go get the doctor and let her know that the Commander is awake." And she hurried back out of the room as fast as she could.

Kaidan chuckled and pulled his chair closer to the bed before picking up one of his datapad's again.

"How long have I been out?" Shepard asked as she attempted to adjust herself into a higher and more comfortable position, wincing slightly at the stiffness in her muscles and chest.

"About two weeks," Kaidan said as he put his datapad back down and helped her. "But considering everything, no one was really even sure you'd make it through that first night."

She stared at him in shock. "Wow...two weeks? Really?"

He nodded sadly. "Some of the longest weeks of my life Shepard."

She gave him a disgruntled look that took him by surprise. "Okay, I wanna make a request. When we're alone, don't call me 'Shepard'. It's Becca to you _Major_ Alenko."

He chuckled at the emphasis she put on his rank and took her hand in his again. "Okay Becca." She shivered at the sound of her name on his lips.

The doors hissed open a third time as Drs. Chakwas and Michel entered the room.

"Ah Commander," Dr. Michel said warmly. "It is good to see you awaken." She flicked on her omni-tool and started running scans to assess Shepard's condition.

"It's nice to be back among the living." Shepard smiled and looked over at her trusty medic. "So they've got you both here helping out?"

"Admiral Hackett wanted to ensure you were given the best care possible. And who better than the two doctors who've somehow managed to keep us both in one piece." Kaidan said as he moved off to the side to allow the women better access to their patient.

Dr. Chakwas laughed as she moved to examine the bandages around Shepard's chest. "Which has been no small feat considering the situations you seem to attract."

"And we cannot take all of the credit," Dr. Michel said as she continued with her scans. "Ms. Lawson has been of great help as well."

Shepard winced as Dr. Chakwas felt her ribs and moved down to the ones covering her bullet wound. "Miranda's here?" she asked looking over at Kaidan. "So she made it out too?"

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "With Cerberus essentially destroyed, she decided to stick around and see what she could do to help." He scowled at the thought of Miranda Lawson. He still didn't trust her. He had seen far too many of the sick experiments Cerberus conducted to ever really trust her.

"And as the primary scientist on Project Lazarus, her knowledge and expertise with regard to your cybernetics has been invaluable." Chakwas said as she removed the soiled bandages and applied some more medi-gel to the wound. Satisfied, she stood up. "Well, that has healed much faster than I could have hoped. There will probably be some scaring, but we could attempt to fix that with the equipment on the Normandy."

Shepard looked down at all of the bright pink skin on her arms and legs. "Yeah, I don't think I want to have this many."

Kaidan chuckled again. "I know a certain Turian who keeps insisting that scars are appealing to the opposite sex." Shepard started to laugh, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. Kaidan moved forward in concern.

"Ow," she wheezed when it had eased, but she was smiling at him. "Don't make me laugh."

Kaidan grinned and kissed her forehead. "Sorry, I'll stow the humour till your better."

"Much appreciated Major." She said with a wink as she leaned back.

"Well," Dr. Michel said as she clicked off her omni-tool. "You are recovering very well commander. We will still need to keep you here a while longer for observation. However if things continue as they have been, I am hopeful that you can leave soon."

"Thank you Dr. Michel." Shepard said with a warm smile. Dr. Michel returned the smile before excusing herself to tend to some of the other patients.

Kaidan watched her go before looking questioningly at Dr. Chakwas. He knew the woman well enough to see when she had something on her mind.

"Is there something else doctor?" Shepard asked.

"Yes actually," Chakwas said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "There was another reason that I requested Ms. Lawson to stay and consult on your case Commander."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at her. "You mean aside from checking my implants?"

Kaidan sat down in his chair and groped unseeingly for her hand, grasping it tightly when he found it. Shepard looked at him out of the corner of her eye. His face was a mask, but his eyes betrayed the fear he felt.

Chakwas looked at him. "Major, how much do you know about Project Lazarus?"

Kaidan shrugged. "Only that it involved using cybernetic implants to bring Shepard back from the brink of death and that it took two years."

Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Yes, though it was actually much more complicated than that. You see, when Dr. T'Soni contacted Cerberus and asked them to help her resurrect the Commander, she had no idea that they had already attempted to broker a deal with the Shadow Broker to get her body. She was also unaware that the Collectors had already made a deal with him. Cerberus promised Liara that they would do everything in their power to help as long as she could get the Commander's body from the Shadow Broker, and that she would be kept informed of the progress. But once Liara and her friend Feron succeeded, they were betrayed by Cerberus and left to the mercy of the Shadow Broker."

Kaidan nodded. Liara had come to see him shortly after he'd rejoined the Normandy and explained that it had been her that gave Shepard's body to Cerberus, believing it to truly be the only course of action with any hope of succeeding. He had been furious with her at first, calling it a betrayal of his trust. She had countered by saying that she believed the real reason he was so angry was because he had not been included. That had brought him up short. She'd continued to explain that as much as she's wanted to tell him, she did not want to get his hopes up. Nor did she believe that he would have ever agreed to Cerberus' involvement. He couldn't argue there. Though he still hated them for all that they'd done, he was grateful that they'd at least brought Shepard back to him.

"I don't understand," Shepard said. "What does this have to do with anything?"

Dr. Chakwas looked between the two of them with concern, unsure of how to proceed. Finally she sighed. "According to Miranda, when the project began the first thing that they did was see how much viable tissue remained for them to work with. But they discovered something that they never expected." She paused. "They discovered that you were pregnant at the time of the crash of the original Normandy."

Both Kaidan and Shepard froze and looked like they'd been carved from stone.

"Unfortunately there was absolutely nothing to be done for the child. You had been clinically dead for over three months before it was discovered."

A tear rolled down Shepard's cheek and landed on her and Kaidan's clasped hands.

"The Illusive Man instructed Miranda to not waste time and simply remove your reproductive system. However, Miranda secretly ensured that you would still have the opportunity to have a child. At the time, she believed Cerberus could have continued to force your co-operation by threatening the health and safety of your child."

Kaidan clenched his jaw in anger at the depths of depravity that Cerberus, the Illusive Man, and even Miranda had been capable of. He felt the static crawl up his arm as his biotics flared in conjunction with his temper. He felt Shepard squeeze his hand and turned to see her pleading silently with him to calm down, though she had gone pale and her eyes were swimming with tears. He gave her a small nod and forced out a slow breath, bringing his temper back under control.

Dr. Chakwas watched their silent exchange with fondness. She had grown to love them and would do whatever was needed to keep them safe and happy.

"However," she continued. "As you traveled together, Miranda had a change of heart and saw how wrong the idea of controlling you with a child was. She deleted all references to what she had done and hoped that the Illusive Man would never discover it. She also gave me detailed information with regards to your implants. Contrary to what most believe, your implants are only responsible for healing any bone or nerve damage sustained in battle, as well as the faster absorption of medi-gel to stimulate your advanced healing abilities."

Shepard allowed her tears to flow as she considered everything Dr. Chakwas had told her. "I still don't understand why you're telling us all this right now." She said in a low voice.

Dr. Chakwas smiled and grasped their clutched hands in both of hers. "Because what Miranda did worked." She looked from one to the other of them. "You are expecting a child Commander Shepard."


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Hurray! I finally managed to finish typing this up! I am already working on the next chapter, so I hope to have that up soon as well. **

**Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! They make my days at work so much better :)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 3<span>**

Three weeks after the emotional bomb Dr. Chakwas had dropped found Shepard was sitting in what was left of the hospital atrium overlooking the ruins of London. The wind rippled through her over large cotton t-shirt and black sweat pants, and blew her auburn strands across her face as she took it all in.

Admiral Hackett had officially debriefed her the day before and she had been happy to hear that, for the most part, Reaper forces were being obliterated from the planet. Scattered reports bearing similar news were starting to come in from other systems as well. The war was entering its final days.

He had also informed her that he was aware of her condition, as it was Dr. Chakwas duty to inform the Alliance of any medical condition that could compromise a soldiers ability to carry out their duty. She had started to protest, but he had quickly assured her nothing would change with regards to her duties until she requested it when she was further along. It had surprised her to hear this, but she was grateful that he would let her do this on her own terms.

As relieved as she was that the Reapers were finally gone, she felt an odd emptiness at the thought. For three years it had been all about making it from one battle to the next, trying to stay a step ahead of the Reaper forces. Now, stuck in the hospital, she had nothing but time to think. And time to think was something she'd been desperately trying to escape.

Her nightmares were worse than ever. Now not only did she hear the voices of the friends she'd lost, she often felt the fire as she'd destroyed the Reapers rip over her flesh and scorch everything in sight. She would often wake up screaming and panicking that she was back on the Citadel, watching as her hand fired her pistol and shot Anderson, though sometimes it would be Kaidan instead. The mere memory of those dreams made her shudder.

She was never alone at night though. Kaidan was there most nights and would hold her tightly when she woke, reassuring her that they were alright. Nights he was on duty she would often find Garrus and Tali, Liara, or James at her bedside.

She smiled at the thought of all her friends. Though she had always hoped, she never really imagined that they would all make it through the war together. Now Garrus and Tali were together, Joker had EDI, and she had Kaidan. She sighed and put a hand to her abdomen, imagining she could feel a tiny heartbeat under her fingers.

She still wasn't really sure how she felt about being pregnant; it all seemed too surreal to her. She had once fantasized about it sure, but she had believed it impossible after being resurrected by Cerberus. She had even come to terms with it on some level. To say she wasn't happy about it would be wrong however. After all the death and devastation she'd witnessed in the last few years, to be alive and carrying Kaidan's baby...she didn't have words to describe it.

Kaidan was more than thrilled about it. Once he'd recovered from his shell shocked stupor, he had asked Dr. Chakwas about the health of the baby considering the extensive injuries Shepard had sustained in the final battle. Chakwas had reassured them both that Shepard's armour had offered enough protection that the fetus was unharmed. Once she had realized the Commander's condition, she had run additional tests and scans to ensure everything was fine before deciding to inform them of the news. She had then offered her congratulations and excused herself to see to some other patients.

Once she had left, Kaidan hadn't been able to hide his excitement. They had spent over two hours discussing everything before he had asked if she would be okay with him telling his mother, saying that news like this was exactly what she needed. Shepard had smiled and said that it was a good idea.

A few stray tears escaped Shepard's eyes as she considered that, if not for that damn Collector attack, this would be their second child.

_*Well,*_ she thought wryly as she wiped her eyes. _*At least I blew them and their fucking base straight to hell.*_

She stiffened when she heard someone struggling over the rubble behind her and turned to see Joker slowly limping his way over.

"Hey Commander," he sighed gratefully as he sat down next to her. "You know, next time you decide to go AWOL from your room, pick a place I can get to without almost shattering my legs."

Shepard chuckled. "Duly noted," she turned and grinned at him. "Though I figured by now your 'Mobility Assistance Mech' would be carrying you almost everywhere."

Joker snickered. "Ha ha, very funny Commander. I'm a cripple, not an invalid." Shepard laughed nudged him with her shoulder. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulders before they lapsed into a comfortable silence, just watching as people below them worked on the many cleanup and rebuild projects.

Joker looked over her appraisingly. They had grown close during the time that they'd worked for Cerberus. Shepard had often come to him when she couldn't sleep or just simply needed someone to lean on. He had even developed a crush of his commanding officer; but he had always known that her heart was spoken for, so he'd contented himself with just being her friend. She had once told him that he and Garrus were the brothers she never had.

He had wanted to shoot out Kaidan's kneecaps after what happened on Horizan, and Garrus had offered to lend him his sniper rifle, but Shepard had actually threatened to throw them both out the airlock if they ever attempted anything of the sort. When Kaidan had rejoined the Normandy crew, he and Garrus had gone to have a "talk" with him late one night when they knew Shepard was asleep. They had filled Kaidan in on everything that had gone on during their time with Cerberus and how much Horizan had affected the woman they all cared for deeply. They had hinted in no uncertain terms that if Kaidan ever did something like that to her again, he would answer to them. Once the surprise had worn off, Kaidan had nodded in understanding, even thanking them for being there for her when he hadn't been.

Joker's brow furrowed slightly as he took in the stress lines around Shepard's eyes. He knew that look; he'd had seen it every time she had second guessed herself about a mission or a decision she'd made.

"You know you did everything you possibly could Shepard." He said as he watched her. "Had they actually taken their heads out of their asses three years ago, maybe we could have done more to prepare, but I think we did pretty damn good considering the hand we were dealt."

Shepard continued to watch the people, and he could see the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes before she answered. "Still feels hollow though. We lost so much and so many." She swallowed as a tear ran down her cheek. "Anderson, Legion, Mordin, Thane, Ashley... I just wish I could have saved them all."

"Damn it Shepard!" Joker hissed. He knew the slippery slope she was on. He had gone through a period of PTSD after the first Normandy crash and had been put on forced leave. He sure as hell wasn't going to watch her slide down into it. "They all fought for this future. A future you made possible by bringing us all together." She looked at him, her eyes wide in surprise.

He sighed, regretting his harsh tone. "Sorry," he said as he looked back out at the city. "It's just...without you Shepard, we never would have survived Sovereign. They all fought and died so that we could keep going." He looked back at her and frowned. "Don't waste their sacrifice by wallowing in the 'maybe's' and 'what if's'." Shepard just continued to blink and stare at him in surprise. She was silent for so long that he started to fidget uncomfortably, praying he hadn't crossed some sort of line with her.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Jeff." She whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder. "You're a good friend."

Joker snickered and blushed slightly. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't go telling anyone about it, or they'll think I'm going soft."

Shepard chuckled and stood up to stretch. "Yeah, wouldn't want that now would we?" she winced slightly as her newly healed ribs and muscles protested the stretch. "So did you just come here to yell at me?" she asked teasingly.

"I would never yell at you Commander." He replied with feigned innocence. "I know better than to yell at someone who could snap my arms and beat me with them." He grinned up at her. "But yeah, I came to spring you. Figured you were probably on the verge of crazy after over a month in the hospital."

Shepard gave him a crooked smiled as she helped him up. "You know me Joker; can't keep a good soldier down."

"Yeah well, speaking of good soldier," he grumbled as they started back towards her room. "We got orders from Hackett this morning to prep the Normandy and head to the Destiny Ascension."

A dark look crossed her face, but disappeared quickly. "The council?"

He nodded, a small smile playing across his face. "I ignored their comms for the last few days. Even hung up on them once, though Alenko was kinda pissed about that one."

Shepard gave him an exasperated look, though there was a humorous twinkle in her eyes. "Never gonna let me live that down are you?"

"Hell no! It was classic!" he laughed as they stopped at the makeshift entrance. "Anyways, guess they contacted Hackett. He tried stalling, but they got pretty insistent about needing their Spectre's, so James and I came to get you." As if on cue, the hulking figure of James Vega came in from the street.

"Good to see you up on your feet Lola." He smiled as he gave her a one armed hug and looked her over. "I gotta say though, that ensemble does nothing for that fine bod of yours." He winked and gave her an impish grin before unslinging the pack he was carrying from his shoulders.

Shepard smiled and shook her head at the Lieutenant. "Careful Vega or you'll make me blush." They both laughed at the old joke. "So what's in the pack?" she asked as he set it down in front of her.

"Compliments of Admiral Hackett." He said as she knelt down to inspect the contents. "Not sure where he scrounged it from, but he said you'd probably need it."

Shepard inhaled sharply as she took in the site of a brand new set of N7 armour and an M-3 Predator pistol. Joker's brow furrowed as he noticed her hands shake slightly as she ran her fingers over then N7 insignia. He looked over at Vega and saw his worry mirrored there. Shepard closed the pack and hefted it over her shoulder.

"Let me help you Commander," Vega said as he moved to take the pack from her.

"It's fine Lieutenant," And just like that she was Commander Shepard again. It was a mask she wore all too well. "Prep the shuttle." She ordered them as she turned and headed back towards her room. James and Joker shared another worried look.

"Ever realize how scary she is when she does that?" James asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall across from Joker.

Joker snickered. "You're talking about a woman who stopped the Geth and Quarians from killing each other by shouting at them."

James chuckled at the memory."Yeah, and that was after she went toe to toe with a damn Reaper." He sighed and looked out at the landing pad across from them. "Still though, I'm worried about her."

When Joker didn't say anything, James continued. "You ever sit with her during the night?"

Joker shook his head. "Not since she woke up. Been busy with the repairs."

James nodded. "Lola's one of the toughest soldiers I've ever met. I mean, the things she's seen would make anyone loco" he shook his head and let out a deep breath. "But at night when she thinks no one's watching...it's like everything she's buried comes crashing around her."

Joker nodded in concern. "Did you tell Alenko?"

"He knows. Says it's been like that since he's been back on the Normandy." They stopped their conversation as Shepard came back into view.

"Come on," she said as she walked past them and led the way to the shuttle. "Is Major Alenko back on the Normandy?"

"Aye Commander," James said as he tried to keep pace with her. "He arrived back from his mission just as we were setting out."

Shepard and James reached the shuttle and James went to fire up the engines. Shepard waited for Joker outside the hatch and gave him an apologetic smile as he limped up to her.

"Don't worry about it." He said as he climbed past her. "I know how you get when you go all 'Commander' on us." They shared a small smile before Joker headed into the cockpit.

"Get the hell out of that seat Vega," he said as he removed his cap and whacked James in the head with it. "I did not survive a Reaper invasion just to die in a fiery shuttle crash."

Shepard tuned out their bickering as they lifted off, watching the vid screen as the ruins of London passed below them.

_*Just a bit more,*_ she thought as she ran her hand across her abdomen again. _*A bit more.*_


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: Be warned, this there is heavy Shenko smut in this chapter. Definetly rated M. Also my first attempt at a lemon...let me know if it's okay and I will also publish my tie-in piece.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 4<span>**

Shepard couldn't hide her grin as the Normandy came into view. Except for some new hull scaring, it looked like Joker had managed to fly through the space battle relatively unscathed. Of course, she knew that there had been some system damage. Kaidan had given her reports during her time in the hospital, trying to make her feel as included as possible. He had become the Normandy's unofficial CO while she'd been laid up.

Joker landed the shuttle with a slight bump, not being used to a craft as small as the Kodiak, and James opened the hatch to let her out. She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her.

Her entire crew was lined up in parade rest; Kaidan, Garrus, Tali, Liara, EDI, and Steve all front and centre. Even Wrex and Grunt were there. She was so stunned that she didn't see James and Joker move past her to join the others.

"Ten hut!" Kaidan called loudly as she stepped onto the deck. As one, they all clicked their heels and saluted her. She felt a lump rise in her throat as she raised her own arm and returned the salute.

"At ease," she said as she looked over the group.

Kaidan moved forward, data pad in hand. "We've been ordered to meet with the council aboard the Destiny Ascension Commander," he said as he handed her the data pad. Shepard skimmed over the request. Apparently they had a mission for her and Kaidan out in the Terminus systems.

"Set course Joker," she said as she passed the data pad back to Kaidan. Joker and EDI both saluted her again, though Joker gave her a little wink as they left for the bridge. "The rest of you back to your stations." The rest of the crew, except Garrus, Tali, and Liara, dispersed and headed off to their posts.

She turned back to Kaidan. "What's the Normandy's status?"

"All the repairs were completed a week ago." He said as he handed her another data pad with all the specifics.

"The shields took quite the beating," Tali said. "But those upgrades we did before we hit the Collector base allowed us the time to stabilize before the Reaper drones could breach the hull."

"One did manage to get past the shields and take out the main gun just before you fired the Crucible though." Garrus added as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been working on the calibrations ever since."

Shepard laughed and smirked at him. "Bet that's just made your day."

Garrus' mandibles twitched in what Shepard recognized as a smirk. "Not really. Once it was repaired, the Alliance Techs set everything back to the default settings. It'll take me _weeks_ to get it back to what it was before the battle."

"Five hours until we reach the Destiny Ascension Commander." Joker called over the comm.

"Roger that Joker," she said as she started towards the elevator with Kaidan, Garrus, Tali, and Liara in tow. They continued to discuss some of the repairs that Tali and the engineering crew had made over the last month that Shepard had been in the hospital, as well as Liara's attempts at using her network to keep Hackett up to date on the Reaper elimination in other systems. Finally, it was just her and Kaidan in the elevator. Shepard sighed and closed her eyes as the elevator took them up to their cabin.

"You okay?" Kaidan asked as he put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"Yeah," she said as she briefly rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess I just wasn't expecting to be thrown right back into the thick of things already. I mean, I know there is still a lot of work to do but..." she felt him nuzzle her hair.

"I know what you mean," He said as the doors to the deck opened and they walked together through the doors of the cabin. "And I've actually been thinking a lot about that." He stopped and leaned against the fish tank, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her move into her small office and open her terminal's message system.

"And what have you come up with?" she asked as she scanned through some of the messages, one of which being from Alliance High Command naming Kaidan as the new XO of the Normandy.

When he didn't answer, she looked up from the terminal. He was watching the fish as the aquarium VI dropped food in for them, but she could tell that he wasn't really watching them and thinking something over carefully. Shepard stripped off her gauntlets and placed them on her desk, before walking to stand next to him. She placed her hand on his cheek, his stubble tickling her palm as he lent into her touch.

"What is it Kaidan?" she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. He usually never kept anything from her, and on the rare occasions that he did, it was usually something he thought she couldn't handle. Old insecurities began racing through her mind as they stared at each other; was he having second thoughts about the baby? Was he unhappy with her? On and on they went until she could feel her breathing start to increase with an oncoming anxiety attack. Kaidan realized what was happening and where her thoughts must be taking her and grasped her hand in his own.

"No Becca, it's nothing like that." He said as he pulled her into his chest, though her armour prevented him from being as close as he wanted. "You know I love you. You know I would go crazy without you." He sighed as he felt her grasp his uniform tightly in her hands, pulling herself as close as the armour allowed. "You remember, before the battle in London, how I said I had a few regrets in my life?"

He felt her nod and pull away to look at him. He reached for and undid the clasps of her breast plate, sliding it gently over her head and setting it on the floor by the desk. Next, he knelt down and unfastened her greaves, taking a few deep breaths as he laid them beside the rest of her armour and stood up to face her again.

"Well, one of them is not doing this a long time ago." He took both of her hands in his and pulled her close for a tender kiss. Shepard felt her heart flutter as he pulled away and touched his forehead to hers.

"Marry me, Rebecca."

Her breath caught and she felt as though her world had just stood still. She looked searchingly into his eyes, praying that this wasn't some kind of joke. His gaze never left hers as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. She looked down at the box in wonder. She knew he was saying something, but she couldn't focus on his words. Something about it not being about the baby and that he had been waiting for the right time. She had to mentally tell herself to keep breathing.

"Yes." She finally managed to squeak out, cutting off whatever he had just been saying. She looked back up into his eyes, seeing the surprise there. "Yes of course I'll marry you Kaidan." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The smile that spread across his face could have lit the room. "Really?"

Shepard nodded, a broad smile spreading across her own face. He grabbed her in a tight embrace, kissing her passionately. She inhaled deeply, loving the musky scent that was uniquely his, and ran her fingers through his thick hair, pulling herself flush with him.

She heard him moan and felt him harden against her, but he broke the kiss and pulled away. Shepard frowned and looked up at him; his eyes were dark with a lust that she knew rivaled the one raging through her own body.

"As much as I want to," his voice was husky with desire. "It's probably too soon."

"Screw that," she growled in a low voice as she caught his lips in a hard kiss and jumped to wrap her legs around his waist. He caught her and held her there effortlessly, the ring box falling to the floor at his feet. "I have been in the hospital doing nothing for a month." She hissed as she arched her back to allow him access to her throat. "I am done taking it easy, and I want you right now Major."

He threw her down onto the bed and knelt over her. "Is that an order Commander?" he smirked as she started to pull his shirt from his pants.

"You're damn right it is." She hooked her legs around his waist again and flipped him so that he was now beneath her and ripped her own top off over her head while she straddled him. She caught his mouth in another bruising kiss as he cupped her breasts in his hands. She moaned as his fingers flicked over the thin material covering her nipples and felt him smile against her mouth.

Releasing him from the kiss, he sat up and ripped his own shirt off, allowing her to trail kisses and love bites down his neck as he worked to undo her bra. Freeing her from the tiny garment, he once again rolled her under him, enjoying the sight of the half naked woman under him.

"Had I known you'd react like this, I would have done it sooner." He whispered as he lent down and started trailing kisses across her collar bone, cupping and massaging her left breast in his hand as he made his way to her right one. He flicked his tongue over her peaking nipple, enjoying the sound of her moans before fully taking it in his mouth. She racked her nails across his back as spasms of pleasure ran through her body. Unable to take anymore, she forced her hands between them and undid his pants, pushing them and his boxers down off his hips and freeing his enlarged member.

He moaned in pleasure and relief as her hand grasped and squeezed him. He knew that if he didn't take her soon he would explode so he pushed himself up, stripping off the last of his cloths before moving back and pulling her boots, pants, and underwear from her. He took a moment to admire this strong, beautiful woman who had just agreed to be his wife before he settled back over her and caught her in another kiss.

She moaned again and cupped his buttocks in her hands as she slid into position under him, waiting eagerly to envelop him in her warmth. She gasped and shuddered as he gave one sure thrust and settled himself inside of her. The completeness she felt as he moved within her was something she had been afraid she'd never experience again after their last night together before storming the Illusive Man's base.

Now, as they moved together in this loving dance, she knew that this would be the first of many, many more nights like this. And that thought alone pushed her over the blissful edge, causing her to tighten and squeeze around him. He shuddered and gasped at the force of her orgasm and came shortly after, collapsing exhausted between her breasts.

As their breathing began to slow back to normal, Kaidan slid off of her and gathered her up into his arms. "I love you so much Becca." He said as he kissed the top of her head.

She sighed and snuggled herself closer into his chest, drawing invisible circles on his biceps. "I love you too Kaidan."

He chuckled softly and ran his fingers through her hair. "So can I give you your ring now?"

Shepard gave a breathy laugh. "I guess so, seeing as it's one of the reasons we're here."

He laughed and slid away from her to the foot of the bed, extracting the box from under their discarded clothes.

"I uh...I've actually had this since before the SR-1 crash." He said as he held the box in his hands, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. "I'd been trying to find the right time during our shore leave, but then..." she placed a finger on his lips to silence him, not wanting to go down that memory lane anymore.

"It doesn't matter Kaidan." She whispered as she placed her other hand over the box. "We're here now, and nothing will ever come between us again." He sighed and kissed the finger she held on his lips, nodding in agreement.

He gently pushed her hand off the box to open it. Inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was a plan platinum band with a single large diamond embedded in the very centre.

"I wanted it to be something you could wear under your armour, so I had it specially designed." He said as he took it out and slid it into place on her finger. It was a perfect fit and looked as if it belonged there.


End file.
